Crystal River current. [volume] (Crystal, Colo.) 1886-18??, 1887-06-25
THE RED SCAR.

1Ork paper, and had turned my lace
homeward, when received letter
requesting me to wait at San Pablo
for further Instructions.
San Pablo interested me. 1t was q
sleepy old Spanish village, with big
cathedral, q plaza with the usual col
lection ofadobe houses around it, and a
background ofsnowcappedm mountains
rising boldly from a landscape OF tor
rid summer heats.
1t was here that met with the most
puzzling experience of my life.
Twas returning from solitary ride
among the hills. The declining sun
warned me that darkness would over
take me if did not make haste, but
as could see in the distance the ma g.
sive towers of the cathedral, I felt no
uneasiness.
At one place my lonely road or mule
path skirted q deep ravine, which was
SO choked UP with thick, scrubby
underground that I was unable to see
anything but tangled mass offoliage
and vines.
"a good place for an ambush"
said to myself.
The idea impressed me SO that /
spurred my mule. but, to my surprise,
the usually docile animal stood stock
still.
"Senor!"
The voice rang out from the depth
OF the ravine but it seemed to be at
my ear.
AS l halted, on account of my
mules obstinacy, the command was
unnecessary.
"Stand aside" shouted, "and let
me pass"
Just then saw protruding out OF
the bushes in front of me the muzzle
of an old-fashioned blunderbuss, a
flint lock weapon in very general use
in Yucatan.
A shudder ran down my spinal
column. l was unarmed, and the
blunderbuss was about the size OF a
small cannon. Resistance was not to
be thought OF.
~ surrender' cried to my unseen
foe.
'"The senior is sensible" said the
man with the big gun, as he leaped in
to the road.
A rapid but close scrutiny of my
captor showed me q young man of
medium height, whose 1.-the. sinewy
figure Indicated exceptional activity
and strength. He wore a homespun
cotton suit, and the face under his
sombrero had the brown tinge COM
mon to all the Yucatanese who were
of mixed Spanish and Indian blood.
The mans right temple was disfgured
by a peculiar scar, shaped liked q
crescent and of fiery red color. Be-
yond this scar there was nothing
remarkable about his face. He had
regular features, thin cruel lips and
restless eyes like beads of jet.
81 will hold up my hands and you
can go through me" said I pleasant
ly. you don't want the mule, do
you!"
''The senior is wrong. lido want the
mule" replied the robber, in q quiet,
self-possessed tone. The senior will
have the kin ness to dismount and
hold up his hands,"
As there was no use in wasting
words, / obeyed without objection.
The robber, with q quick jerk drew
my hands behind me and pinioned
them with strip of rawhide. Then
he bound me securely to tree. After
finishing these preliminaries he emptied
my pockets OF the loose silver in them.
"ls that all senor?" he asked in dis
gust.
"All l have,"I answered.
''The senior has my sympathy"
said the rascal, with a vicious grin.
"But the mule is something"
The robber turned my steed to the
right about and jumped into the sad
die.
Let the senior be patient" he said
as he rode off. "Some traveller will
release him, and it is not far to San
Pablo. Give Francisco's compliments
to the alcalde. Adios, senior, adios!"
And waving his hand he disappear
ed around a bend in the road.
So this was the noted highwayman,
Francisco, for whose head the Gov
ernor had offered heavy reward
There was consolation inthe thought.
No one would blame me for surrender.
ing to a daredevil who was considered
q match tor any three men in Yucca
tan.
But my train of thought was soon
interrupted in pleasant manner.
Francisco had been gone perhaps a
quarter OF an hour when a muleteer
made his appearance leading his little
burro along the narrow path. Hail
ing the stranger, I induced him to cut
my bonds and release me. The mule
teer told me that escaped lightly.
He gave Francisco very black char
acter.
'If this place had not been in sight
OF San Pablo" SAID he, "the cut
throat would have killed YOU"
The next morning the little town of
San Pablo was in state of eruption.
Men. women and children rushed pell-
nell through the streets uttering wild
yells. Hooked out Of the window sew.